Ever watched people at a network event?

I was doing just that recently and it occurred to me that there are four types of networkers: Sharks, Wall flowers, Megaphones and Friends. Of course we all want to be friends.... but are we?

Sharks, as the name would suggest, are those cruising for business. They don't stay long enough in one place to make a connection but rather are 'opportunists waiting for an easy meal'.

You can pick a Shark from a distance because they move through the crowd, stopping at each group for a minimal amount of time - dominating the conversation. They are likely to contact you later to try to catch up for coffee, taking up your time, without bothering to make the time to connect with you at the network event.

Once identified, a Shark can be observed to move quickly through a crowd, making rapid assessments as to the value of each person or group. You will also see them heading to the front of the crowd to ensure that they are visible to prominent or powerful guests.

Wall Flowers on the other hand, sit back and wait for the action to happen! They let other people ask questions and to lead the conversation. They don't invest enough energy to find out whether there could be mutual opportunities. They may also contact you later to make time to catch up. As with Sharks, make sure you aren't wasting your time meeting with them, when they didn't make the effort to talk at the network event.

The Megaphones are 'it's all about me': How good I am, How much I sell, How popular I am. They want to be the 'stars' of the conversation and any deviation in the conversation almost always finds its way back to them. A Megaphone in your group will steal your opportunity to make meaningful connections. The best way to manage them is to excuse yourself politely and leave them talking to thin air.

So now we get onto Friends. Who and what are Friends? We aren't talking about your BFF here. We are talking about those people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say and build on your discussion with ideas and opportunities.

These people understand the purpose of networking. They understand the value of connecting with like-minded people and taking the time to establish common ground. They want to learn about what others are doing or have done. They are good listeners and understand that the game is to look for 'common ground'.

So, having observed Networkers through this blog, do you recognise yourself?Can you create better business opportunities through a better networking style. Remember: You can inspire change!